Living Through Societal Breakdown: Why Dialogue Matters Now

We are living in an era of profound societal breakdown. From political polarization to climate disruption, from economic inequality to collective burnout, the cracks in our systems are increasingly visible. These fractures are not only external—they reverberate in our communities, workplaces, and inner lives.

Data + Context Section:

• Polarization: A 2023 Pew Research Center study found that 65% of Americans believe political polarization is at its worst in modern history. Similar trends are being reported globally, with growing divides across identity, values, and worldview.
  

• Burnout: The World Health Organization officially recognized burnout as a workplace syndrome in 2019, and Gallup’s 2022 Global Workplace Report showed that nearly 60% of workers experience daily stress.

• Nearly half of workers globally report burnout - A 2024 report from Boston Consulting Group found that 48% of workers across eight countries say they are currently experiencing symptoms of burnout.

• Burnout is widespread in the U.S.: 75% at least sometimes - According to Gallup, around 3 in 4 U.S. employees experience burnout at least sometimes, and about 1 in 4 report feeling burnt out “very often” or “always.”
  

• The Edelman Trust Barometer (2024) shows record lows of public trust in government, media, and business, with over 50% of people believing the system is failing them.
  

• Mental Health: The World Health Organization reports a 25% global increase in anxiety and depression since the pandemic, underscoring the emotional weight of our times.

Why Dialogue Matters:

Amidst this breakdown, spaces for dialogue, reflection, and sense-making are more critical than ever. Research in social psychology shows that structured dialogue across difference can reduce polarization, foster empathy, sense-making, and open pathways for connection and collaboration.

The Societal Breakdown Series is our response to this moment. It is not about providing quick fixes or simple answers. It is about creating a space to hold the complexity, acknowledge the pain, and cultivate the listening skills and the imagination capacities required for what comes next.

Details of the Series:

The Societal Breakdown Series is a 4-part collective inquiry designed to hold these questions together:

November 4th 2-3:30 PST: What is the impact of societal breakdown?

November 10-11:30 PST: What is the source of the polarization?

December 2 2-3:30 PST: How do we heal ourselves and our world?

December 17 2-3:30 PST: What is asked of ChangeLeaders right now?

Each 90-minute dialogue will invite reflection, conversation, and co-creation around the challenges—and possibilities—of this moment.

Register here

Breakdown can be frightening—but it can also be the ground from which new possibilities emerge. Together, through inquiry and dialogue, we can begin to ask: What is being asked of us now? Who are we becoming?